


Gunmen of the Wilderness

by IzumiP



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Cowboy AU, Gen, joke that ended up serious, yeehaw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-18 22:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7333348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzumiP/pseuds/IzumiP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheriff Kaoru is the man who will live down in history as the bravest Sheriff in the Wild West. But how did he come to be known as the hero he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a joke but I actually feel like this is something that needs to be told. I hope you enjoy, and get as invested in the story as I became when I wrote it.

The sun shone high, bearing down mercilessly on the plains. Littering the landscape were scrub plants and patches of short, bristly grass. A whistling wind blew across it a breeze that would have been the only savior from the seemingly never-ending heat, but it felt dry and harsh. A rabbit darted here and there, a hungry coyote eyeing them for its next meal. It felt like a wild wasteland, fading away in the heat. 

Idol Valley was a harsh place to live, near impossible with only a few water sources dotting the land. It seemed to push at travelers, desperate to stay out of the way of the encroaching settlement of the west. But still, as they always did despite the conditions, towns had been raised, populated, and somehow managed to flourish. Dusty streets lined with wooden buildings, people going about their jobs and duties. Horses tied to posts, men relaxing in the cool shade of the bar with something to drink. 

Ranches, farms, they were everywhere. What would have been a death sentence to a man on his own became an oasis that was sought out by many. The most prominent of all in the valley, of course, was Yumenosaki Ridge. It was large, prospering and friendly, arms always open to travelers and to any who had a wish to work and further the town. It truly was a town for those to go and find a place for themselves, if they could brave the stretch of plains between the town and the mountains. 

It was named for its precarious placement, situated between two outcrops of land on either side, raised high above and looming over the town. It sheltered the valley from the heat and let the wind pass through, an ideal town to live in a place like this. 

Even with its generous nature and the gentle heart that lay at the center of the town, it was still wracked with trouble and plights. The West had been and always would be a dangerous place to live, desperadoes, cattle and horse thieves, robbery. There would always be those who brought trouble in every time, but none so daring and dastardly as the cowboys who broke the code and ran wild. 

To steal a horse was to lose your life, but they took them anyway. Ungrateful to the bone and mean enough to fight a rattler and give him the first bite. They were the venom, immodest and liars. 

They were feared, no matter how safe the town felt. No matter how welcoming the town was. But what the town was known for most was not its durability in the conditions it stood up to, not its growing prosperity or its welcoming arms. It was not the hospitality which was spoke of across the plains, carried by travelers only passing through. It was not even the dangerous criminals that circled the haven. 

It was the Sheriff. He was the bravest the West had ever seen, and he would never be forgotten, even as years, decades, generations and generations went by. His stories would remain eternal, as the man who brought peace in dangerous times. He was the only one who truly could be counted on. 

It was the man who never missed, the Sheriff with the beautiful face, a true cowboy through and through who followed the code as one would follow the trail. 

Sheriff Kaoru was the man who would never die, as long as stories were still told.


	2. Sheriff Ridin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of the story of Sheriff Kaoru.

His footsteps left shallow imprints as he walked, only to be swept away by the dust carried on the wind. Spurs jangled with every movement, every stride confident. It was the walk of someone who knew where he was going, what he was doing - one who felt like he could handle anything that could come at him. A pistol lay at his side, but not once had the owner ever had to draw it on another.

Sheriff Kaoru Hakaze was making his patrols, reaching up to idly brush a strand of his blonde hair back from his face, tousled ever so slightly by the breeze. He passed by a pair of old folks, sitting on the porch and relaxing in the shade. He tipped his hat kindly in greeting and received one in return.

"Howdy, sheriff. How're you doing?"

Their voices were warm and kind, and he couldn't help but give a smile.  
This was his town, and he was much beliked, far more than any sheriff had ever been. He was handsome, young, strong, and had a talent for sharpshooting. Kaoru even found himself fancied by the girls, though he only had time to give them sweet words in passing. There was too much for him to do in his time to find himself settling down for going courting.

With him around, there was little more of a problem than mischief of kids, getting into the trouble the way children usually do. A gentle reprimand from Kaoru and a sharp whipping from the parents and they found themselves quickly in line. 

Kaoru was going along his regular route, keeping an eye out for any of the little ones in town causing any trouble. It was really never anything more than the usual deviltry of of a child, and he wasn't particularly concerned, so he took the time to stop and chat with the folks on the porch. They passed the time with idle chatter: How are you doing? How have you been handling the weather? Have you seen anything interesting lately?  
It was the usual casual jawing, back and forth, enjoying the time with the townsfolk he was charged with.

When Kaoru pulled his eyes away for a moment to glance down the street, he saw him. The sheriff barely recognized the face; it wasn't someone he knew very well. He didn't live in the town and was further towards the outskirts, managing a ranch of cattle a short slipe away from town, closer to the water. He had greeted him a few times, of course, the man coming to town for supplies and to deliver what he had. But aside from that, Kaoru was not familiar with him. They had barely spoken outside of the usual formal greetings.

He was struggling, but still trying to run. To save him a little distance, Kaoru jogged to meet him, more than a little concerned. Meeting together, the man (looking more between hay and grass than anything, far too young to be yet called a man) almost collapsed, bracing his hands on his knees. He was drenched with sweat, glasses sliding down his nose as he panted hard.

Before the sheriff had a chance to ask what was wrong, he started to make a commotion, loud and fretting. 

"T-There's trouble! A lot of trouble…! The place… It's terrible!" he shouted, clearly struggling to get the words out. He was fumbling with his thoughts, the words spilling out.

"Now, what's all this ruckus? Sounds like you got a peck of trouble, but I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong, partner," Kaoru answered, trying to soothe the man as best he could, hands out and ready to catch him if he fell. He was starting to sway on the spot.

His head snapped up, blonde hair sticking to his sweat coated forehead and green eyes wide behind the glasses barely still perched on his nose. That was a real look of fear if Kaoru ever saw one, and not something he saw very often. 

"Ranch...!" he managed to get out, looking just about ready to cry as he struggled with himself to get his words out. The excitement was clearly getting to him.

"Take it easy now, I've got you, kid. You're safe here as long as I'm patrolling these parts. Breathe and I'll hear you out when you've pulled yourself together." 

It took a few minutes, the boy breathing hard and returning to his earlier position with his hands on his legs and doubled over. As Kaoru watched, he glanced past him to the entrance of the town, more than a little wary now of any followers. The fellow with the glasses definitely seemed worked up and it didn't seem like a casual matter.

Finally, the boy straightened up, wiping his forehead weakly. He pulled off his glasses to dry them with shaking hands, frames slick and sliding a little too much for him to see reliably. Back on his face, he took a deep breath and looked at the sheriff with a serious expression. His eyes were greener than any grass he Kaoru ever seen, but they were filled with fear.

"The name's Makoto. I'm the farmer on the ranch down the way," he was finally able to get out, voice still quivering.

That was his name. Kaoru remembered greeting him briefly before, a fleeting introduction, before he went on his way. He made a note to keep this in mind, feeling a pang of guilt that he hadn't remembered the folks just outside of town as he did for those in it.

"What's got you all rattled, then, partner?" he replied, frowning at the clear alarm on the rancher's face.

"There’s a stranger causin’ a ruckus up on my ranch. Riding ‘round the cattle and getting ‘em all worked up!" he cried, starting to get worked up again just talking about it "I can't get ‘em to leave, they've got a gun on ‘em! And I think they're gonna start takin’ ‘em!"

This was definitely trouble. The ranch was a part of the town, providing resources and helping them survive in a harsh place like this, and Kaoru felt a heavy guilt in his stomach. He never thought to patrol out there to let his presence be known ‘round those parts. And without him, rustlers had seen it as an easy target and place to run wild on. It wouldn't just be the rancher it hurt, but them as well.

He had to step up to his duty as the sheriff, and prove his worth. He could never call himself a good lawman, or a good cowboy, if he let this go by. Rustlers couldn't be tolerated and he was not going to let a single cow get away. Kaoru was going to show this rustler what was what and round up any doggies runnin’ free.

"Hey now partner, don't you fret, I'll bring that longrider to justice. He won't be causin' ya trouble no more," he said, fire in his eyes and passion in his words.

His spurs clinked loudly, his pace now no longer slow and confident but swift and determined. His steed was a beautiful pinto, a real six-shooter horse. As fast as fast could be. He was saddled up and ready to ride, giving him a gentle pat.

"Let's ride like the wind, partner. There's trouble afoot," he whispered, saddling up.

The horse snorted and tossed his head, backing up a few paces, and Kaoru gave him a quick push of his heels and they were off, like greased lightning. Dust was kicked up by the hooves as they raced through the town and out the front, onto the plains. He was strong and steady, and Kaoru leaned down along the body of his steed, eyes focused on the horizon.

There was the ranch.

He could already hear the commotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cowboy terminology to know, if you were confused:
> 
> Slipe - a distance (in this case, short)  
> Deviltry - Mischief  
> Jawing - Talking  
> Between hay and grass - Neither man nor boy, half-grown.  
> Longrider - An outlaw  
> Six-shooter horse - a fast horse


	3. No Good Desperado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sheriff arrives at the ranch to find the one causing the commotion.

Kaoru pulled the reigns when he was a short distance from his destination, his horse coming to a stop and giving a snort. He surveyed the ranch in front of him: the house in which Makoto lived, a barn, a silo presumably full of feed - various structures you would see on any average farm to keep them going. And there Kaoru found what he was looking for: the large fenced in pasture with a slew of unsettled cattle, mooing and causing a racket. They had clearly been thoroughly distressed, stomping their hooves and moving around restlessly. The cows seemed ready to go at any minute.

He grimaced, feeling an unpleasant reluctance as he started to trot closer, cautious as he could be. He was so used to the peaceful lull of the town, that he never stopped to realize the pressure of the job. Of course he was true to the code, and he upheld the law, but it had never really been an issue before that he would need to deal with true, serious criminals.  
But it had to be done. He wasn't going to let the town – or Makoto – down. As much as he would have liked to have been relaxing and chatting with the folk back home, this was his duty. He pushed down his worries and replaced them with the steely resolve that had brought him all the way here.

Kaoru drew closer, and he found himself dumbfounded at the ease at which he had found the culprit. There he was, sitting on the fence as casually as if he were at home in a chair, kicking his legs back and forth. He was facing away from him, watching the distressed cattle push each other around, with no clear inclination to run away. Kaoru's horse wasn't quiet so surely he would have heard him approaching, but he didn't bother to turn around.

It made things a little more difficult for Kaoru. He was told the criminal was armed, but he couldn't tell if he had it at the ready. He called out to him, a fair warning; he wasn't going to go around picking a fight with no warning and with an unarmed man from behind.

"Howdy, partner. Heard you were causin’ trouble down on this here ranch." 

He waited for an answer, one hand tight on the reigns of his horse and the other hovering over his gun. If there was any time to be ready to draw, it was now.

The rustler gave a heavy sigh, shoulders heaving with the action. He didn't make a single move to remove his weapon from its holster. Instead, he turned himself around and came down from the fence with a thud, landing on his feet steadily. His gun was still safe and secure at his side and he had an incredibly unamused look, sharp blue eyes seeming to go straight through him. His silver hair was tousled, not by the wind Kaoru observed, but in a natural style. He gave a reply to the sheriff, sounding more than a little unimpressed.

"Stop talking like that, it's annoying," he snapped, voice carrying a noticeable lisp.  


Kaoru stopped, looking a little difficulted. The reply had thrown him off and was the last thing he had expected in response. He wasn't sure what to make of it, not really understanding what was wrong with his speech at all. If anything, the stranger was the one speaking oddly. He sounded like someone from the east, talking all formal like that.

"Are you not going to answer me? Ugh… Maybe you'd understand if I tried talking like you," he sighed, clearly exasperated "'Howdy, howdy, howdy, yeehaw!' How's that for you? You get it now?" 

"Beg your pardon...?" Kaoru asked, voice strained.  


He was sure he was being mocked at this point. It was agitating to deal with someone so owdacious, so he attempted to make a clear point of his position and earn himself a little more respect; he wasn't just some passerby trying to help. He was the sheriff.  
He puffed out his chest a little, hoping to bring attention to the badge fastened to his chest, but the stranger just glanced away with a bored look. He acted as if he hadn't just been raising hell with the cows on the ranch or causing massive distress to their farmer, and he obviously didn't have a lick of interest for his badge.

"Where'd Yuu-kun go?" His question seemed innocent enough, but there was an underlying tone that made Kaoru uncomfortable.

"Pray tell, who’re you talking ‘bout?" he replied, more than a little confused.

How the man asked made it sound like the answer should have been obvious and the look he gave Kaoru was one that implied he was a fool for not having an answer. The sheriff's mind was racing, trying to think of a person that name matched up with. But he had never heard of them, he was sure.  
There were so many faces in town and he knew them all by heart, every single one. And he knew the rancher now, too. Kaoru paused and couldn't help but wonder if Makoto was the was asking for, though that wasn't even close to his name.

Kaoru was getting more and more frustrated, feeling way out of his depth. He wondered, was this some foreigner that got lost out here and somehow ended up in their valley? He didn't sound like any foreigner he'd seen, like the barman back in town. _He_ was eccentric in and of himself, but not quite like this.

"Soooo annoying! You cowboy idiot, can't you piece it together? Or do I need to spell it out for you! Yuu-kun! The one who works here!" he snapped, more than a little arrogant.

That was enough. Kaoru swung his leg over and dismounted, marching up to the man, hand over his gun all the while. This attitude was rubbing him completely wrong, and he felt far more fired up than he had ever been on the job before. Even up close, all he got from him was a hard stare, eyes narrowing as the sheriff approached.

"Are we going to have some stand-off like in the movies? Ugh… Just bring me Yuu-kun. I got all these cows worked up to get him to come out so I could talk, but he just ran away..." he trailed off, disappointed.

It didn't sound like he had any intention of running away with the cattle, but he absolutely had been causing a disturbance and that was enough for the sheriff to at least have an excuse to bring him in. He went to grab his arm, and it was promptly pulled away. Kaoru received a scathing look in return and he spoke with edge sharp enough to cut straight through an iron horse.  


"Don't touch me," he growled.

Kaoru was quickly reaching the end of his rope. He finally made a demand of his own, tired of listening to him telling him what to do, asking questions, doing all the talking. He had been far more patient than this nuisance had deserved.

"Hobble your lip, varmint! I'm the sheriff 'round these parts and you'd be wise to watch your attitude! Unless you're fixin' for a fight?" he snapped, sidling closer.  
The man looked up at him and gave a derisive snort. He clearly had no respect and he moved out of the way of Kaoru. He had never seen someone so absolutely uninterested towards the law. It was like he didn't care about anything at all.

"Don't call me something so annoying. My name is Izumi. Just use that instead of all this Howdy Yeehaw talk." 

This was worse than finding a rustler. Kaoru found himself in a situation he didn't know what to make of. Some offish greenhorn was causing trouble, ridiculing him and showing no respect. He was acting like he was far more learned than him or anyone else around here and it was driving him mad. He almost wished it had been a cattle rustler instead of whoever this spooney was.  


Kaoru made the decision: he was bringing him into town, if only out of spite at this point. He finally drew his gun, pulling the hammer and aiming it steady and true. Izumi was armed and had been given fair warning. It was fair game now.  
Izumi just looked at the weapon and rolled his eyes, holding up his hands in surrender. No attempt was made to reach for his gun at all. He wasn't taking it seriously and Kaoru was feeling quite insulted at this point.

"Get on your horse, we’ll cut a path back into town and we'll be figurin’ out what to do with you there." Kaoru's voice was curt and he was clearly done for the day.  
He just wanted to go home, find some pretty girls to sit down at the bar with for a drink and go to sleep. He didn't want another big day like this for a long time. It was much better when he didn't have to deal with nuisances like this.  
All he wanted was the usual, lazy peace of the town. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. His head was pounding from the stress.

Kaoru tried to keep himself calm, watching Izumi carefully. He didn't think anything more could possibly happen or agitate him further. But he completely lost his composure as the man went to the fence again. He hadn't seen a horse close by, and Kaoru soon realized why: he didn't have one. Izumi pulled what looked to be a stuffed horse head on a stick from the fence it had been leaning on.  


Kaoru had literally no idea what to make of this and let out a sound, somewhere between a laugh and a wheeze. This was the most shameful display he had ever seen a cowboy make in his entire life and he began to reckon this was a joke being played on him by some crafty townsfolk to liven up the place.

Izumi looked dead serious, though, not a hint of amusement on his face as he swung his leg over the wooden pole. He waddled towards him, his fake horse gripped tight in his hands and between his thighs.

"Lets go then, 'sheriff,'" he commented, the title emphasized in a mocking tone, "Let's get this stupid plot point over with. It's dragging on way too long"

Kaoru found himself lost again and was damn well ready to shoot him in the foot for making these comments. But he kept himself in check and with a gesture of his gun, they were back on their way to the town, slowly but surely. Kaoru kept his steed at a walking pace, never moving faster than Izumi could hobble along with the pathetic toy he decided was a horse. This was going to take forever.  
This couldn't have been serious. Kaoru made a note to give a stern talking to to whoever decided this would be funny. He just felt tired and frustrated, and enough was enough.  


The town would soon be rising up before them and he would be able to shrug off this annoying burden once and for all. The only thing he could really be grateful for was that the snapperhead hadn't said a single thing as they set off.  
As he looked to the sky, he noticed a buzzard circling ahead. What a carefree bird, simply gliding up along the drafts. He almost felt envious, imagining what it would be like to have no burdens at all. He was tired, and wanted to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cowboy languge lexicon:  
> Difficulted - Perplexed  
> Owdacious - Audacious  
> Iron horse - A railroad train  
> Hobble your lip - Shut up  
> Greenhorn - An easterner innocent of cowboy ways  
> Spooney - A stupid or silly fellow  
> Cut a path - Leave, go  
> Snapperhead - An impertinent fellow, one who snaps or answers to quickly or impudently.


	4. Izumi goes to jail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumi goes to jail, the town rejoices

The sky was fading into a rusty red by they time the two reached the town. It had taken what felt like years to get here, going at a snail's pace because of Izumi's pathetic excuse for a horse. Kaoru hesitated to even acknowledge it as a horse at all - there wasn't much else he could call it outside a toy, but the look on the man's face told him that making a comment like that would get him a tongue lashing. He was more than tired of hearing this man scold him, let alone talking, so he kept these thoughts to himself.

Waiting at the gate was the rancher, Makoto. He looked anxious, wringing his hands and biting his lip as he saw the sheriff approaching. Trotting up to him, Kaoru gave a weary smile, gesturing to Izumi waddling after him.

"Your cattle is safe and the varmint that was causing trouble is with me, and going straight to the jail as soon as he hurries on up," he soothed, trying to clear that expression off the rancher's face.

Makoto couldn't help but smile, relieved to know his farm was safe and there wasn't going to be any more trouble.   
"Thank you so much, Sheriff! You really are amazing!"

Kaoru rubbed the back of his head, feeling embarrassed at the praise. He heard a lot of it around town, but he'd never actually done anything that warranted this much effort, so hearing praise for his work like this was a little much for him. It felt good though and he beamed, tipping his hat at Makoto.

"Anything for someone in need. I'm the sheriff 'round these parts, and I'm not gonna see some criminal causin' trouble. If you ever need anything, you come right to me, yeah?" he said, puffing his chest out a little proudly.

Makoto nodded enthusiastically, but looking past Kaoru, he saw Izumi finally sidling up. Making eye contact had apparently been a bad idea and the he broke into a smile, immediately dismounting the toy horse. Izumi walked up to the rancher and grabbed one hand in his own, smiling warmly and eyes sparkling. He spoke much kinder than he ever had to Kaoru, excitement bubbling up.

"Yuu-kun! You're here! I thought I wouldn't get to see you," He was beaming as he spoke, holding onto his hand tight.

Makoto, however, didn't look quite as enthusiastic about the meeting. He tugged his hand away and wiped it on his side instinctively, taking a few steps back. He looked as if he had just stepped into a rattlesnake nest: scared, upset and ready to bolt.  
"Please… please just leave me alone," he said, voice very quiet but eyes full of discomfort.

Kaoru didn't need to hear anymore and pushed his horse between the two, glaring down at Izumi. He had some nerve, harassing the poor rancher right in front of him (again). He earned himself a look so venomous that he found himself instinctively reaching for his gun. But Izumi said nothing, and made no move to fight the sheriff. He simply huffed before glancing away.

"I'll see Yuu-kun, no matter what you do. You can't stop me forever," he commented, eyes wandering to the ground where he could see his feet through the legs of Kaoru's horse.

"I'll damn well do my best," Kaoru replied, sniffing indignantly at his arrogance.

"Whatever… I'll see you soon, Yuu-kun."  
He dismissed Kaoru with a wave of his hand, voice sing-song as he called out to the poor rancher who looked ready to bolt from town. He looked at Kaoru, silently pleading to be rid of the man. With a nod, Kaoru bumped into Izumi with the side of his horse.  
"Come on, get a move on. We're heading to the jail and I'm not going to deal with you puttin' up any sort of complaints," he stated, voice hard. This was an order, not a request.

With a grumble, Izumi began to trail after the sheriff again, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the unsettled farmer before turning his eyes forward again. 

The jail wasn't too far away, they only had to walk along the main street for a few minutes before Kaoru dismounted. He tied his horse to the post outside the jail, hitching him securely by the reigns. Izumi followed suit, tying the leather straps of the toy horse to the wooden post. When he let go, it leaned further and further until it fell, only held up by the reins tied to the post. Kaoru covered his face, trying to stifle a snort. Izumi noticed and shot him a nasty look, but he really couldn't help it.   
He took a few breaths to collect himself before giving Izumi a shove in the back to get him into the building. Inside, there was somebody already sitting in a cell and he looked up when he heard the sheriff enter. There was as curious look, seeing the new arrival, but it quickly dissipated and he returned to a look of disinterest and laid back on the bed he was resting on.  
"I'm going to toss you in here until I finish talking to the victim, and see what's going to be done with you," Kaoru said as he unlocked the cell with the other resident.

Izumi was pushed in and the door locked behind him. He grumbled, sitting on the cot across from the other prisoner. He received a look in return, the redhead giving a little wave. Izumi sighed, rubbing his head; he knew who this was, even if they didn't know him anymore.

There was an awkward silence as the sheriff left them, sidling out of the building to go locate the farmer to discuss what to charge him with. The familiar face stood up, peering past the bars to watch him leave. Finally, Izumi spoke.

"So… what are you in for?" he asked. He didn't really care, but it was better than sitting here in silence in dusty howdy land.

"Oh boy… Hah, well," his cellmate turned back and sat down, putting his hands on his knees, "Wooowie, well..."

The redhead leaned back very far and whistled, brushing his bangs back with both hands only for them to fall back into place. Izumi rolled his eyes, laying back as he completely lost interest in the reply. He was annoying and there was no way a loser like him could have managed to get into trouble here.

"Anyways, what about you?" 

Izumi didn't answer.

 

Back outside, Kaoru spotted Makoto sitting on the steps of the bar and went to take a seat with him. He gave him a pat on the shoulder, which made him jump and let out a little yelp. Seeing it was him, Makoto adjusted his glasses and gave a sheepish look.

"Sorry, I was still feelin' a little rattled from earlier," he explained, smiling nervously.

"Don't worry about it, partner. I'm here to ask you about what happened, so I can process the criminal," he answered kindly, patting his shoulder again to reassure him.

"Oh, well..." he trailed off, looking away.

"You can tell me, kid. Don't worry, you're safe from him."

Makoto was back to wringing his hands as he did earlier, looking at the dirt. There was still an air of apprehension and fear about him, a cloud hanging over him ever since he came face to face with that darn varmint. Still, he took a deep breath, and began to talk.

"He rode up to the ranch on his horse as I was feeding the cattle," he started, not turning his gaze from the ground, "I saw he had a gun, so I ran into the house and stayed in there. I didn't want to leave."

Kaoru nodded to let him know he was listening, making a mental note of everything he said. 

"I was inside for a long time, and that's when I noticed the yelling. I looked out the window, and he was sittin' on the fence, yellin' at the cattle," Makoto continued, cheeks reddening as he recounted it.

"Yelling at them?" 

"Yep. He was yellin' all sorts of mean things at them, so loud that they started gettin' restless and all worked up. I thought he was tryin' to get ‘em ready to run when he opened the gate!"

Yelling at them. Kaoru wasn't sure what to do with this information, considering that when he arrived, Izumi had obviously no intention to steal the cattle. He had simply been insulting them loudly and getting them wound up. 

"But...he didn't ever really do anything. I snuck out the back while he was gettin' the cows going, so he didn't spot me, and I ran straight to town."

Finishing the story, Makoto held his hands tight. There was a silence between the two as Kaoru processed this. He obviously had been distressed enough to run, but he wasn't sure what he could do. There had to be something in the law books here to keep him in. 

"...He wasn't really a rustler, was he?" Makoto finally said, breaking the silence and drawing Kaoru from his thoughts.

In reply, Kaoru shook his head, giving a small smile.  
"You don't need to worry about that, at least." 

It didn't seem to reassure Makoto any and he simply looked more gloomy, crossing his arms and shifting his feet to a higher step to pull his knees to his chest. The silence resumed, the farmer trying to figure out what exactly to say.

"I wasn't in any trouble and I wasted yer time, didn't I, sheriff?" he finally managed, sounding guilty.

It took Kaoru by surprise that he would say that. There was no doubt he had been upset, and this criminal clearly was targeting him for a reason. There were plenty of places to cause trouble, but the focus on Makoto wasn't hard to see. The sheriff had seen how uncomfortable he had been when they met in town, how persistent Izumi had been. Kaoru was certain it could have escalated to be something dangerous if they had met without him to interfere. 

"Partner, you did the right thing comin' to me," he insisted, looking at him with a serious expression, "He isn't a good fella and if you have a problem, you can always give me a holler. Whether you think it's a little problem or not."

Makoto looked up, meeting his expression. His eyes softened and he gave a small smile, nodding. Kaoru was relieved seeing him starting to relax; it had been a long day for him. He let out a shaky breath and ran the back of his hand over his forehead, looking up towards the sky. Kaoru followed his gaze; there was a buzzard again, no longer circling but drifting towards wherever it called home. Seeing it cross the sky, Makoto stood up.

"Thank you, sheriff. I'll never forget what you've done for me," he said, the gratitude genuine "And I think it’s time I hit the trail and head back on home."

Seeing the sky’s light fading, Kaoru shook his head, standing up with him.

"It's a lil late to cross over to the ranch. I think it'd be better if you took a room for the night. Let 'em know I sent you and they'll give it to you free of charge," he insisted, making a gesture to the building he had been sitting on the steps to. His eyes followed him to the bar sign and he gave a little laugh.

"After what happened today, I guess it'd be better to be safe than sorry. Thank you again, sheriff."

Kaoru watched his back as he headed into the bar, doors swinging back and forth as he pushed through. When he was out of sight, Kaoru pressed a hand to his face, sighing. What was he going to do? There couldn't have been a law against yelling insults at cattle. He really, truly did not want to let Izumi out of jail, if only because he had been such a pain and he didn't want to let him off without learning a lesson.  
He watched the sky go from red to purple to an encroaching blue before he stood up. He was going to deal with this tomorrow; for now he needed a drink. 

He turned around and pushed his way through the swinging doors. The bar was almost completely empty. Makoto must have gone upstairs to rest. Kaoru didn't blame him, after running all the way to town and all he went through, he must have been exhausted. Sitting himself at the bar, he gave a gesture to the bartender.

"One whiskey, full to the brim."

The bartender looked at him for a few moments, pausing in the cleaning of a dirty glass, before giving a nod, going to get the bottle.  
Kaoru's eyes wandered around the building as he waited. It had a nice atmosphere, but felt like no western bar he had ever heard of. It was meticulously clean, and the bartender always had more than a few words for whoever caused the slightest mess. As such, manners were ingrained so deep into the patrons that even when completely drunk, they managed to keep the place as tidy as could be. Lovely paintings from all corners of the world hung on the walls and Kaoru had to admit they had a charm about them.

Finally he turned his gaze to his side, smiling warmly as he saw the beauty that was always in the bar. No matter how empty it got, she was always here at the bar, smiling that sweet smile of hers. Her hair was so beautiful, eyes clear and lashes long. There wasn't a single flaw on her; even her clothes were perfect, custom made and elegant. She was impossible to miss and Kaoru gave a playful wink, reaching out to gently stroke her hair.

However, before he could, he felt a sharp, painful strike to his wrist. He looked up to see the bartender, glowering with a flexible little stick he kept behind the counter just for occasions like this, and for folks causing trouble. Kaoru laughed and pulled his hand back, blowing a little on the red mark forming on his skin. He was ridiculously protective over that doll of his.

"Do NOT touch Mademoiselle! How many times have we had this conversation?" he scolded, voice sharp and unforgiving. 

"Probably over six times by now, I think," Kaoru answered, grinning mischievously as the whiskey was shoved in front of him, "I think you need to relax, Shu~ A pretty young thing like her should be enjoying the attention of handsome fellows, don't you think?"

Shu clicked his tongue and picked the doll up, holding her close. He clearly wasn't as amused as Kaoru. 

"I absolutely will not allow anyone to lay a hand on her. Especially not someone with dirty hands, riding around all over town and touching god knows what!"

Kaoru started to laugh, taking his whiskey and downing it quickly. Setting the glass back down with a loud clink, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You folks from the east are awful weird," he commented, though not unkindly, and gestured for a refill.

Shu obliged, filling the cup with one hand and holding Mademoiselle a little tighter with the other. There wasn't a shred of humor on his face or in his voice. He didn't reply to that comment, simply pouring the drinks as asked and making conversation only when he was obligated to. And Kaoru continued to laugh, sitting in the bar all by his lonesome and drinking himself silly. The night moved on and soon his head was spinning. Shu was looking more and more impatient, going far later than he had been intending to go today at the bar. Even though the haze, Kaoru caught that look and realized it was far past time to head home.

As he stood up, Shu gave a heavy sigh of relief, finally ready to clean up and head to bed himself.

"Try not to pass out on the way home," he commented dryly as he watched Kaoru stumble towards the door.

"Y'got it, partner!" he slurred, pushing his way through the swinging doors and to the street.

The world was swimming and his head was pounding. After all his visits to this dizzying, alcohol flavored world, though, he still knew the path to home. He had walked it so many times, sober and drunk, that he couldn't forget it. His steps were uneven though and it took far longer than it usually would. Fumbling with the door, he almost fell in as it opened on him.

He shut the door behind him and found his way to the couch, and as he laid down on it, he felt the exhaustion from the day hit him. He hadn't drank like that in a long time, but he felt like he deserved it. Of course he deserved it. So much had happened that day, he had done more than he ever had. The couch was soft and it felt like it was embracing him and his body wasn't listening to his brain, ordering him to get into bed. He wasn't going anywhere. He was exhausted.  
He didn't want to do anything right now. Tomorrow would be another normal day and he could figure out what to do with Izumi then. For now, the cushions were swallowing him alive and he welcomed it.  
It was okay to slack a little and have fun. He worked hard. Heavy with whiskey, his eyes fell shut and he spiraled into a deep sleep.


End file.
